Vernon applied and got accepted to ASU. Then he told us he took arts as a major, planning to pursue a career in photography. He chose this college because both their photography classes and the football team were among the top in the country. Deep down, I hoped Vernon would choose a more pragmatic profession like a physician, lawyer, or engineer, but I saw the happy faces of both my men, and smiled approvingly.
I swore to myself not to cry when he moved to Phoenix, but he noticed the tears in my eyes and promised to call often and visit at least once a month. He kept his promise, and in the first year, I saw him continue to grow and bulk up. In his freshman year, he was the backup quarterback on the team. Vernon hated math and lab sciences but liked the art program. It was quite unusual f
